KHYBER AGENCY: Nine Afghan students, studying in two public schools located at Bacha Mena, Torkham were deprived of taking their annual Senior School Certificate (SSC) examinations scheduled from March 15, 2017 (today) due to suspension of crossing at Torkham border. As per the Pak International Public High School (PIPHS) and Oxford Public High School (OPHS) administration officials, a total of 353 students, comprising 240 and 113 students respectively in each school had been studying in these school among those, nine students were studying in 9th and 10th grades. Because of closure of the border since February 17, all the students across the border had been absent of their classes as they had not been permitted to enter into Pakistan via Torkham border. Abdul Raziq, Principal of PIPHS said, the students were hailing from the bordering areas of Afghanistan and because of lack of quality education facilities in their villages; they came across the border in Pakistan for study. “The border closing not only suffers the lower classes Afghan students but also put question mark on the future of those nine Afghan students of 9th and 10th classes who use and keen to attend their Metric exam to be initiated from March 15,Wednesday”, he regretted. He stressed upon the authorities concerned to keep in view of their future, initiate a special incentive so that the studies of Afghan students may not effect by the border tension. Application had been filed with Commandant Khyber Rifles for seeking special permission for the Afghan students to take their exams, in addition of granting general consent to all the Afghan students to let them to resume their studies across the border in Pakistan but so far no replay had been made by the border security forces of Pakistan, Raziq remarked.